Under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Shiv Sena has nominated MLA Yamini Jadhav for the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai South constituency. Current MP Arvind Sawant has already been named as a candidate by the Mahavikas Aghadi, setting the stage for a significant contest in South Mumbai. However, as the debate swirled around various veteran leaders in the Mahayuti vying for candidature, attention has shifted to Yamini Jadhav, the candidate receiving the ticket.
Both Yamini and her husband Yashwant Jadhav have been active members of the Shiv Sena for many years. Yamini, who holds a high level of education, entered politics as a corporator in 2012 and subsequently served on various municipal committees. In the 2019 assembly elections, she defeated MIM's Waris Pathan in the Byculla constituency, securing her position as an MLA.
In a notable turn of events in 2022, Yamini Jadhav sided with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in his rebellion, challenging the leadership of then Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. This decision raised eyebrows, especially considering her previous close association with Thackeray. Jadhav accused Thackeray of neglect during her struggles, citing a lack of support during her battle with cancer.
However, controversies have surrounded the Jadhav family.
In 2019, the Income Tax (I-T) department initiated a probe against Yashwant Jadhav, husband of Shiv Sena MLA Yamini Jadhav, following alleged discrepancies found in the election affidavit filed by Yamini for the 2019 assembly polls. As per Yamini's affidavit, she availed unsecured loans of ₹1 crore, including one from Pradhan Dealers. During the investigation, the I-T department discovered that Pradhan Dealers was a shell firm used in alleged money laundering. It was found that the shareholding companies of Pradhan Dealers were two Kolkata-based companies, with three individuals acting as dummy directors. These dummy directors, including a Kolkata-based entry operator, facilitated unaccounted cash transactions allegedly received from the Jadhavs, which were later recorded as loans from Pradhan Dealers.
In 2022, Yashwant Jadhav, former chairman of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) standing committee, faced scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act. The ED's investigation was based on searches conducted by the I-T department on several premises linked to Jadhav and his wife, Yamini. The ED raided 33 locations in May 2022, including Jadhav’s residence, over suspected tax evasion. The agency's action followed complaints of corruption against Jadhav, whose family was accused of laundering ₹15 crore with the help of a Kolkata-based shell company.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya accused Jadhav of Rs 1,000 crore scam by money laundering, alleging that the funds were obtained from various scams.
“Shiv Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav and MLA Yamini Yashwant bought 36 buildings (old buildings of "Paghadi") with 1000 flats/shops/offices in Mumbai in the last 24 months. Rs 1000 crore scam exposed I am confident of actions by ED, Compay Ministry, Income Tax Department in next few days,” Somaiya had said in March 2023.
Additionally, the Registrar of Companies (RoC) filed a police complaint against Shiv Sena corporator Yashwant Jadhav in 2022, accusing him of fraudulent registration of companies associated with his family. However, no FIR has been registered as of now.
Interestingly, both Jadhav and his wife joined the ruling faction of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in June 2022. Despite these investigations and accusations, there has been no progress in the probes against them thereafter.
Taking a swipe at BJP’s Kirit Somaiya, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab wrote on X, “Will Kirit Somaiya now head the campaign of Yamini Jadhav?”